The highly touted Canadian newcomer needed just 22 seconds to dispatch of Joseph Sandoval in brutal fashion Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

The bantamweight contest served as the first bout of Friday night’s UFC on FX 1 event and was one of six preliminary contests to air on FUEL TV.

Denis wasted little time in starting the assault, punching almost immediately after the opening bell. While he found some success with both his right and left hands, Sandoval stood firm in the pocket and looked to return fire.

Things changed when Denis grabbed a Thai clinch in the center of the octagon, firing off four elbows that landed flush to the temple. Sandoval collapsed to his back, and Denis didn’t bother to follow, as “The Ninja of Love” proved that lighter-weight fights can indeed finish fights.

“It was great,” Denis said after the highlight-reel finish. “Couldn’t have gone any better.”

Now 4-1 in his past five fights, Denis has earned 10 of his 11 victories via knockout. However, the 28-year-ol revealed he was actually planning to take the fight to the floor.

“I wanted to come out strong with my strikes,” Denis (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) said. “Actually the gameplan was eventually to take it to the ground because I felt like his strength is his striking and his weakness is his grappling. But once I landed a couple of punches, I saw he didn’t react very well to it. I knew he was hurt, and yeah, I finished it.”

Sandoval (6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC), who came to the UFC as an undefeated prospect, is now winless in two trips to the octagon and may be facing a release.

“It happened so fast, I really don’t know what happened,” Sandoval said. “I didn’t expect him to come out banging. Thought we would circle for a bit, but he banged it out.”

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